The invention concerns machines for attaching buttons, rivets or similar to garments and is particularly directed to machines of the type in which the button parts are fed from a magazine side, on up to near the position of attachment, and are transferred from there into attachment position. Such machines include a guide channel which feeds the button parts in an upright position and which discharge them at approximately a 90.degree. angular offset relative to the position of attachment. The machine further includes a sliding surface extending between the point of discharge and the attachment position. This sliding surface has the shape of a circular arc, extending tangentially from the area of discharge from the guide channel to the position of attachment. The arc is also approximately tangential to this position. A transport finger rotating in oscillating fashion cooperates with the sliding surface to transfer one button part at a time into attachment position.
A prior art machine of this general type is known from the German patent disclosure No. 2,826,418, where a transport finger is fashioned as a rotatable ring section featuring on its insertion end a receiving pocket. This solution makes it necessary for the ring section to release the insertion area only briefly when the punch of the upper tool is at lower dead center.